I was able to whip up this refreshing, summer themed pocket letter in just 4 hours (that’s a huge improvement over 4 days). 😛 I used papers from the Pebbles “Sunny Side” collection and the American Crafts “Dear Lizzy Neopolitan” collection. I did tons of fussy cutting of banners, ribbons, cut-aparts, etc. and then added stickers, enamel dots, wood veneer pieces, Glossy Accents (well you get the idea). I picked everything with an eye toward keeping everything fresh, summer-themed, and bright with lots of polka dots, ginghams and florals. It was super fun and easy!

The following is a video share of the project:

This pocket letter is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Refreshing Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Going Dotty Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Summer Challenge (Top 3 Winner)
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are having a wonderful crafty day! WOOF

I was able to pull snapshots from that video, so I thought this would be a perfect time use the Tim Holtz Sizzix Sizzlits Decorative Filmstrip Die I was recently gifted. I have to admit that cutting down the pictures to fit perfectly into each frame was time consuming (I think it would be much easier to back it first and perhaps stamp inside each frame), but it was well worth it. To give a more finished look, I inked the edges of the grey water colored patterned paper with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad in Black Soot.

In order to give some places along the film strips to rest ones eyes, I inserted a couple of close up facial shots of my fur babies along with some frames just filled with pearlescent ombre pink polka dot papers and pink die cut words from the Diemond Dies Word Die Set #1.  To embellish the LO I used a heart shaped paper doily, script chipboard words by Heidi Swapp, some dimensional stickers from American Crafts, teal and pink enamel dots from My Mind’s Eye and My Style Stamps, and a chipboard bird from the Basic Grey Fresh Cuts collection.

To add softness and texture, I also added bits and bobs of pom pom trim, ruched lace, and crocheted lace, hot gluing them into place under the bottom edge of the film strips here and there.  I also added a bit of pink and white bakers twine in the mouth of the chipboard bird’s beak.  This may have the appearance of a free and easy snippet, but I am embarrassed to say that I fiddled with this bit of twine for 20 minutes! LOL

To keep up continuity of color throughout the layout, I used papers from the Basic Grey Fresh Cuts collection to make tabs, hand fussy cutting the brackets from the selvage piece of a 12 x 12 piece of paper and punching out one side of my old EK Tools Large Flourish Square punch.  Lastly I made some dimensional double layered pennants using the Diemond Dies Mini Pennants Die Set with both sides of a double sided paper of a green base floral and a bold pink polka dot from the same Basic Grey Fresh Cuts collection.  I inked all the edges of the green floral paper with green American Crafts ink and the pink polka dot paper with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad in Picked Raspberry so that they would pop from the background chevron wood grain paper from the Dear Lizzy Neoplitan collection. 🙂  Ok these pennants took a ridiculously long time with all the inking, adding foam adhesive, and wet glue, but the results added a fantastic visual movement and pops of color.

The following is a video share of this layout:

My readers can get 10% off and free worldwide shipping on any orders of $35 or more at Diemond Dies by using the coupon code: thankskristina at check out.

This layout is being entered into the following challenges:
The Friday Mashup 200th Challenge: Combining #29 That’s a Wrap (twine) and #37 Chip Off the Block (chipboard and ink distressing)
MarkerPOP Anything Goes Challenge
The Pink Elephant Green Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Lions and Lambs Challenge (dogs)
Naughty or Nice It Ain’t Easy Being Green

Thanks for stopping by. Please subscribe if you wish, and have a great day! WOOF

The 4″ x 6″ card I made is for a challenge hosted by a wonderful crafty friend, Anny (YT: StargrlAnny) who is celebrating 2 years on YouTube. Woot woot! She was very open to whatever we wanted to make in terms of style but wanted us to put our YT name on the front so that she could at-a-glance know who made which card, as she is going to use it as a kind of Roladex system/mini album. Because I didn’t want my YT name to take center stage, I used a pale wood grained Amy Tangerine textured Thickers from American Crafts called “Muse.”

I used some spring green colored gingham print paper that I have had in my stash for over a decade for the base. Then I used some scraps that I had left over from a paper from the Dear Lizzy Neopolitan collection for the background. To add a little fun and a tiny bit of dimension (Anny didn’t want a lot since she is planning to put these into plastic sleeves), I fussy cut out a lot of flowers from that patterned paper and popped them up on foam adhesive. For a little sparkle, I also used different colored Stickles and glitter glue around some of the flowers.

For the little lamb, I used the following Copic colors and used a dotting technique to give a sense of wooly texture: E000, E31, W1 (for the shadow), and RV000 (for the inner ear area). I used some Glossy Accents on the lamb’s eyes, nose and hooves to add a little visual shine.

The following is a video share of this card:

This card is being entered into the Simon Says Stamp Monday A Piece of Paradise Challenge
and the Raisin Boat Celebrate Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! WOOF

I wanted to make something that was bright, beautiful, and flowery because I thought something like that might be just what someone going through grieving might need. Plus, I am really craving spring. 🙂

Because the journal I had was a very bright neon foiled book, I first put a coat of gesso on the front and back covers of the journal and let it dry overnight. Then I used a white cotton embroidered trim and an ivory embroidered trim from MelsCraftBoutique to cover the front and backs, leaving some overhang so that I could bring it around to the inside of the front covers.  Note that the ivory trim has an unfinished back edge so it is on the bottom and the white trim has a finished edge (so there is less fear of unraveling) so it is on the top. These wide, opaque trims were perfect for covering these larger areas and creating a soft base.

For the spine, I wanted to make sure that it stayed flexible so I decided to use knit doilies (rather than paper or less forgiving fabric).  I used this larger doily on the bottom and a medium doily for the top, both from MelsCraftBoutique. It only took 2 doilies to cover the whole spine, and I think it added a nice soft touch.

My readers can get 10% off any orders of $15 or more from MelsCraftBoutique and if you are shipping to the U.S. and your order is $40 or more, you also get free shipping. Just use the coupon code: craftypaws10

I had fun adding leaves and flower layers in a rainbow of colors that are made from a very sheer, puffy fabric (sorry I don’t know the brand–they were gifted to me in a RAK yesterday (yes, I’m already crafting with these NEW items!) from my super sweet and talented friend, Priscilla (YT: Priscilla Del Valle).  Lastly, I lined the inside of the front and back covers with patterned paper from the American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan 12 by 12 Inch paper pad (which seemed to match the flowers perfectly).  This covers up all the rough edges of the trims and gives a nice finished look tot he book.  

The following is a video showing the process of altering this composition book:

This altered composition book is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday NEW challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday All Things Bright and Beautiful
Simon Says Stamp Monday H Challenge
Challenge Up Your Life Rainbow Challenge

Thanks for stopping by. Please subscribe if you wish and have a great day. WOOF!

I let a few scraps from my scrap box dictate the color scheme of lime green with pinks and corals and decided to have some fun with my Tim Holtz Distress Markers. I used mowed lawn for the dress, vintage photo for the foxy parts (drawing in a tail to make sure this couldn’t be mistaken for cat girl when I wanted her to be a foxy girl–LOL), tattered rose for the skin, spun sugar for her blush, and ripe persimmon for the hair.  Yep, that’s right I only used 5 markers! As the image was gifted to me on regular white card stock, I was worried about the blendability so I just brushed on the colors I wanted to use onto an acrylic block and picked up as much or as little color as I wanted in any spot with my Pentel water brush. Where I wanted a little more vibrant color, I went back over the areas directly with the marker, making sure to quickly blend in with the water brush. It came out surprisingly well!  I had thought these markers could only be used with watercolor paper, but this experience has me convinced me otherwise. I will definitely be playing more with my Distress Markers.

To add some more interest, I created a little embossed background area with a Darice paw print embossing folder. I inked the relief with a dauber and a spun sugar Distress Ink pad.  I also used a bit of Chinese braid trim, to create a clean edge where the two scraps of background paper met, which allowed me to put the whole framed image up on foam adhesive for some added dimension. The other scrap of patterned background paper with banners was from the Dear Lizzy Neopolitan collection, and I added a little secondary interest point with a banner cut from a coral polka dot scrap topped with a double bow tied from lime green seam binding.

Not to guild the lily, but I also wanted to add some shine and sparkle to the card so I added three iridescent coral enamel dots from MME Lost & Found, some clear Wink of Stella to the dress, clear star Gelly Roll to the hear tie balls, and Glossy Accents to the foxy girl’s eyes.

The following is a video share of this card:

This card is being entered into the Kit and Clowder September Color Challenge,
the Moxie Fab World Foxy Foxes Challenge,
the Craft Dee Bows Anything Goes Challenge,
the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Background Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! WOOF!

In this layout, I wanted to capture this special moment. I used three papers from the12 x 12 Dear Lizzy Neopolitan paper pad, which set the color scheme that I tried to carry throughout with all the embellishments.  I added lots of vintage buttons, generally divided into different mason jars by color, 2 coral hearts (representing Bandito being 2 yo), and 13 mini pearl hearts (representing Biscuit being 13 yo).  To add color continuity and a casual feeling, I also a little washi tape as if they were holding up the focal picture.  The final accents are the word “love” in wood that I stained with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain and then coated with Glossy Accents as well as a couple of adorable doggy paper clips.

This will be the facing page to yesterday’s layout in my scrapbook album. They are not matchy-matchy, but they intentionally coordinate nicely. 🙂

The following is a video share of this layout:

This is also being entered into:
Button Up Recipe Swap Challenge at the Catered Crop
Ribbon Carousel Blog Birthday Celebration Challenge
Paper Crafting Journey Spots and/or Stripes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! WOOF

Biscuit is 13 years old and Bandito just recently turned 2. We got Bandito when I could see that Biscuit was feeling her age.  We worried that she would not accept a sprite-like, frisky puppy, and truth be told, while she tolerated him, they were not generally close.   These pictures captured the first time that they actually slept next to each other of their own accord. I was ecstatic. Just looking at these pictures warms my heart.

For the layout, I used 5 sheets from the Dear Lizzy Neopolitan paper stack. Now you might notice more patterns than that in the layout, and you’d be right, but let me explain. I used the 3 background papers, 1 mason jar from another sheet, and a few cut outs from the sheet that had the Polaroid cut-aparts.  I also used the excess top strips where the patterned paper is attached to the pad to make the little heart, floral and pink banners. How clever is that?! It wasn’t my original idea, but I loved the idea of not wasting those pretty little strips.

I filled the one mason jar with vintage buttons, gluing them down with E6000, tying a little baker’s twine at the neck of the jar, and putting Glossy Accents on the lid to add a little shine. I also used a paper doily, which I cut in 2 in order to add a little more background interest. A couple of dimensional butterfly stickers, which I thought went nicely with the cloud patterned paper and some brown floral Thickers (notice how the bling on the antennae on one of the butterflies lands perfectly in the centers of two of the flowers on the E Thicker–a happy accident, which I love), and the layout looked sweet, light and adorable–like my pups. LOL

This layout is being entered into:

Simon Says Monday Blog Challenge with the 5 papers from the Dear Lizzy Neopolitan stack
Ribbon Carousel Blog Birthday Celebration Challenge
Simon Says Work It Wednesday
Catered Crop Recipe Swap
Paper Crafting Journey Spots and/or Stripes Challenge

The following is a video sharing this layout:

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! WOOF